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Friday, January 11, 2013

2013 Goals (or at least some wishful thinking)

Bah. Goals. It's been so long since I actually committed to any
(hmm... 2011 maybe?) that I've almost forgotten how to be accountable.

However,
I think I've been with both mares long enough for me to have some idea
of reasonable expectations and I think I'm still competent enough to
organize them (at least a little).

For the sake of moderate organization I'm breaking them down into Goals for Me, Goals for Prairie and Goals for Pia.

Let's start with Prairie since her goals are a bit more tangible than Pia's and I don't want to do mine yet:

- Attend at least one recognized dressage show in 2013.
We stayed at the unrated shows in 2012 but since atmosphere doesn't seem to phase the mare a ton I think we'd be ok to try our hand at the fancier shows. I don't really plan on chasing qualifying rides, but I do actually own a dressage coat and white breeches again. Seems a shame to keep them locked in the closet.

- Break 70% at Training Level and 65% at First Level. Also, show First Level 3
I
am reasonably confident that Prairie could smash Training Level on an
average day now that we have our canter figured out a bit more, but we
have some work to do on First Level and I'm scared of FL3 :)

- Get our changes 80% of the time
I
don't expect Prairie's changes to be "auto" this year, or even 100%, or
even respectable in a Dressage court, but I would like her to get them
often enough that we're competitive in the Hunter Ring. This means that
swapping the front first totally counts :)

Our Best "Hunter Impression" in 2012.. And it's only getting better...

- Attend at least FOUR overnight Hunter Shows.
Admittedly this falls on my shoulders not Prairie's, but this year is a great year for us to really get out. No weddings or other major life events to get in the way, so let's make hay while the sun shines.

- Move Up to 3' Adult Hunters
Really I want to show
the 3'3" Amateur Owners, or the 3'3" Adults- but to be conservative, I'm
setting the Goal at 3'. Prairie does better over bigger fences, and
realistically I give her a better ride to them. We just need those damn
changes.... I'll save the 4' divisions for later...

Loved 2012 with this mare...

Now for Miss Pia:

- Safe and Consistent W/T/C without Bucks
I would
say that she's 90% there, but she still has the odd kick out to outside
leg and throws minor tantrums. I think they are diminishing, but they
need to be 99% gone. I feel like her regular routine will get us
closer.

A happier, more relaxed start to 2013...

-Get Back on the Trail
Committing
to out of arena work is something I want to do for P1. I think it
helps her brain and I want to stretch her mental flexibility as much as
possible. Trips back to Summer Camp or down to a Mountain Trail Clinic
would be ideal.

-Attend TWO Schooling Shows
Not for the ribbons, but to get her out and in new places. I don't care if they are H/J or Dressage I just want her out.

- Passably Perform First Level Tests at Home
Pia's
lateral work is already coming along without the stress or tension it
had in 2010. I know she can physically do everything in first level at
this point, it's just the focus and consistency of being able to string
it all together for 5 minutes straight. That's the sticky wicket there.

We have thankfully, seen NONE of this recently, a reminder of how far we have come...

And finally, the obnoxious goals for self -

- SHORTER REINS
If there's one thing I don't need a
trainer for, it's to be told to shorten my reins. They are long, they
are always long. They are long almost immediately after I shorten them.
They are long over fences, they are long on the flat they are long even
when I'm not riding because they are in a perpetual state of too damn long. This year I will shorten my reins and then staple them to my hands in the appropriate place (so help me god).

- Lighten My Seat
I don't want an ineffective
"perch," but my go-to defensive move is to sit deep, lean back and
drive, drive drive. I need another tool. Namely one that doesn't
totally freak out both my mares. :)

- Continue My Dressage Education
I am SO happy with S. So, so, so happy. I trust her, I like how she rides, I like how my horses react to her, I like how I react
to her as well. But I also know that I am getting sucked into the H/J
vortex like a moth to a flame. I missed jumping. I know that now and
I'm having so much fun getting back into it (even without cross
country). But I can already tell I'm getting less committed to
my Dressage work and I don't want to lose ground. Prairie has more
levels in her and I will need to up my game to get us there. There are
two trainers in the area who I really enjoy and I need to average
hauling out at least once a month to see them.

We're well underway on all these goals, and even if the path
deviates a little (or a lot) I'm really looking forward to lots more
time with both these ladies this year. Yeehaw.

6 comments:

Heh. Yes, the driving seat. I went about 6 or 8 months where I literally HAD to two point to EVERY FENCE just to keep from driving with my seat. Bad habits die hard. One thing that really helps me (and builds muscle) is to focus on putting just my breeches in the saddle but no actual weight. It is HARD, but it reminds me to keep the driving aids in other places. ;)

I always deviate from my goals LOL! They are still good to have. I just sometimes think I should do six month goals hehe. You guys are going to do fantastic and I really appreciate that you keep a blog so we can be a part of the fun. :D

New Kid

Windsor is a 2008 Selle Francais who we brought home in late 2015. Previously he was an approved stud and made the rounds (slowly) at 1.40m. With his chill brain and cute jump we're hoping he'll enjoy learning how to do the Hunters.

Windsor

Windsor

The Big Mare

Prairie is a 2005 Elite Hanoverian Mare (Londonderry/Weltmeyer). She's had two beautiful babies and early success in the Dressage Ring, followed by our foray into the Hunters. Now retired, she is back to making babies, first one scheduled for 2017!

Prairie

Gus!

Gus is a fan favorite. An older Trakhaner with DDFT injury that sidelined him from his H/J career, he is a noble gentleman who is worth his weight in gold. After some love, rehab and lots of kisses, Gus moved on to his forever home in MI where he has a beautiful farm to call home and a girl to shove him full of treats.

Pia

Pia is a 2003 Hungarian Warmblood who reintroduced me to horse ownership as an adult. We spent four years together exploring everything from Dressage, to Mountain Trail, to a false Wobbler's Diagnosis and beyond. She's a very clever mare and is currently learning how to event with her new mom.

Cliff Notes:

This blog started as a record of treatments, setbacks and general adventures with Pia, my little red mare back in 2010.

In late 2011, Prairie joined the team, with the idea of being the horse to get me back in the show ring. Initially I was pretty sure this would be the Dressage Ring, but both of us stumbled into Hunter Land and had a great time exploring a new discipline together, ultimately finding lots of success.

Gus showed up in early 2013. We adopted him hoping to find a suitable job and he has since found a forever home and girl of his on in MI!

Windsor is the current main man. a 2007 Selle Francais, he jumped around the 1.40m in Europe but was a little...slow. So now he's trying his hand at the Hunters and helping me learn how to move up.

About Me

These days I seem to spend most of my time working a little and playing a lot. I value my time with good friends spent in restaurants, bars, boutiques and everything else a decent sized city has to offer. I cherish knowing a city inside and out almost as much as I enjoy escaping it to someplace with no cars and hardly any people. Horses take up a chunk of time, as does coaching.. It's a good life.